Pröll under pressure over pricey state debt info campaign

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Politics

Opposition leaders have turned their guns on People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Josef Pröll over splashing out more than 800,000 Euros on a debt information campaign.The vice chancellor was forced to reveal his ministry spent 816,802 Euros on the controversial posters following Greens MP Karl Öllinger motion in parliament yesterday (Weds).The campaign – headlined “Weniger […]

Vast majority back tax on assets, poll shows

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Politics

More than seven in ten are in support of the introduction of a tax on assets, a new study has found.Public opinion research agency Karmasin has found that 72 per cent of Austrians backed the possible new tax, while only 18 per cent rate the suggestion a “bad idea”.This result – revealed by a poll […]

Vienna gets Leopold Gratz Square

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General News

A Vienna square has been named after the late Social Democratic (SPÖ) Mayor Leopold Gratz.The location in the city centre close to the justice ministry was today (Fri) officially called Leopold Gratz Square.SPÖ Chancellor Werner Faymann and SPÖ Mayor Michael Häupl attended the ceremony honouring the iconic Social Democrat who presided as the capital’s mayor […]

‘Riches tax’ bid backed by 15,000

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Politics

Political leaders may feel the heat as a “tax on riches” petition by the Upper Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) found 15,000 supporters.SPÖ Upper Austria boss Josef Ackerl said today (Weds) the plan was to file a motion in the federal parliament in autumn.Ackerl explained more than 15,000 people have signed his party branch’s initiative since […]

AK boss warns government of upping car fuel tax

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Politics

Labour Chamber (AK) chief Herbert Tumpel has appealed to the government not to raise taxes on car fuel.”Higher petrol taxes are out of the question,” Tumpel said today (Weds).The AK boss further argued: “An increase of taxes on car fuel would burden those with little income and workers who need to use their cars to […]

Liste Burgenland performs spot landing

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Politics

Final results of last Sunday’s provincial election mean that the Burgenland parliament will feature five parties for the first time in history.Voting commission officials announced last night (Weds) that the counting of postal votes means that the Greens – who won 5.2 per cent in 2005 – managed to remain in parliament with 4.15 per […]

Grasser says Greece rescue was ‘worst decision’

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Politics

Former Freedom Party (FPÖ) Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser has branded the rescue plan for ailing Greece the “biggest mistake of the European Monetary Union”.Grasser said in a newspaper interview today (Tues) he would have forced the economically struggling country to leave the Eurozone. This term describes the 16 European Union (EU) member states which have […]

Burgenland election campaign heats up

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Politics

The Burgenland election campaign heated up today (Weds), with the People’s Party slamming an advertisement by Social Democratic (SPÖ) Governor Hans Niessl.The advertisement announces his decision to dissolve the provincial legislature in advance of the 30 May provincial election.ÖVP provincial manager Christian Sagartz demanded that the SPÖ make the sources of the funding of its […]

SPÖ fears British conservative government

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Politics

The Social Democrats (SPÖ) fear that a future British Conservative Party government would have “negative implications,” according to SPÖ federal manager Laura Rudas.Speaking today (Fri) Rudas said that such a government would constitute a set-back for efforts to make Europe “more social and for more regulation and control of financial markets. It would be more […]

VCÖ makes €350mn kerosene tax call

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Politics

Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ) officials have claimed Austria was losing out on around 350 million Euros of annual revenues by not charging taxes on kerosene.VCÖ expert Martin Blum branded the situation an “indirect subsidisation of the aviation industry.”Blum said today (Weds) the government would garner around 355 million Euros per year if it decided to […]